Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque better known by her stage name JoJo, is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Raised in Foxborough, Massachusetts, she performed in various singing competitions as a child, and after competing on the television show America's Most Talented Kids in 2003, she was noticed by record producer Vincent Herbert who asked her to audition for Blackground Records. JoJo released her eponymous titled debut album in June 2004, "Leave (Get Out)", her debut single, became number one on the Billboard Pop songs chart, which made her the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single in the United States, at thirteen years old. The song peaked at 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA. The album has since sold over 4 million copies worldwide to date.

JoJo's second album, The High Road, was released in October 2006. The album's lead single, "Too Little Too Late", was released in August 2006 and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA in March 2007 and became her first platinum-selling single. The album has since sold over three million copies worldwide. She has also released two mixtapes independently, Can't Take That Away from Me in 2010 and Agáp? in December 2012, as well as an EP following her signing to Atlantic Records. As of November 2013, she has sold more than 7 million albums worldwide and has sold over 2.1 million albums and 4 million digital downloads in the United States alone.

In addition to her music career, JoJo also launched a career in acting. She made guest appearances on several television series, beginning with the 2002 American sitcom The Bernie Mac Show, and later in American Dreams in 2004 and Romeo! in 2006. That same year, JoJo made her feature film debut in two major Hollywood films Aquamarine, and RV. She starred in the Lifetime Television film True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet in 2008.

"It's hard to receive advice when you're going through it," the 23-year-old conceded. "I was bullied. I think a majority of us were. Especially for people who are creative. It's amazing to talk about it as an adult, but the thing I can say is that time is the only thing that heals."

"Focus on what you want to do with your life, focus on your academics, focus on the things that make you happy and try to tune out the negativity," JoJo said. "That's the hardest thing to do, especially in a school setting or when you can't get away from someone. But just try to focus on the positive and know that this is temporary and that you won't be in school forever."

She realizes that bullying goes beyond school walls. "Although there is definitely bullying on the internet, [remember that] you get to choose your interaction with people. You get to choose how you react to it and you get to choose how you respond to it and internalize it."

And focusing on what she loves is exactly what JoJo is doing. "I'm going to be starting a project soon," the singer said. "And continuing to put out things for those who support me. There are definitely some exciting changes going on in my life professionally that I'm excited to embark on."